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No one is actually normal.

A sudden case of insomnia has inspired me to blog! So let’s get the ball rolling, the post up… it’s late. Let me start writing.

Growing up in a Malayalee Penetecostal home I grew up with the distinct feeling that I was not normal at all. Malayalee is a type of people group from the state of Kerala in South India. Malayalee Pentecostals are people from this geographic region who practice Christianity- specifically Pentecostalism.

From what I heard, we would differentiate ourselves in India by what we wouldn’t do. Most of us are not supposed to wear jewelry, some even go as far as to not wear makeup or nail polish. We’re advised to dress somewhat modestly and a lot of malayalee pentecostal children live under very strict rules and regulations.

I grew up frustrated by it all because the idea of “hanging out” with friends bewildered my parents. It was until college that I was allowed to “hang out” with people who didn’t go to my church. Very rarely I would go out for snippets of times on special occasions. Most of the time I was too lazy to fight for more freedom as well.

In church we didn’t operate the way every other people group seemed to operate. Stupid things seemed to always get in the way and someone was always dissatisfied with something or another.

It was so frustrating and for a long time I looked back on my childhood jealous of the “normal” kids. The kids who had curfews! Curfews meaning they were allowed outside of their home!! Children who were encouraged to start dating at the ripe age of 16, not cut off all interactions with guys and suddenly get married at 23!

Honestly, it just felt unfair. But as I thought about this more and more I came to a realization: no one is actually normal. Sure I know some kids who “seem” normal, but everyone has a story! Everyone has something that surely makes them feel completely different from everyone else around them.

For us Malayalee Pentecostals it may be a little bit more obvious, but for others it is still there. Regardless, we are all bound to together by this very fact. Which is: No one is actually normal.